But for the Grace of God There Go I

My heart is aching as yet another prominent pastor gives way to sinful behavior.  I know how it effects the view of the non-believer.  Quite frankly it makes us all look bad.  That word "hypocrite" will get thrown around alot at the office.  It's just so sad.  Then there will inevitably be the believers who decide to ditch their faith because of a fallen man.  It should not be...but it happens.

Pride and Arrogance are the greatest enemy of the pastor.  And it can come in a form that looks really good.  "This person knows everything about the Bible,"  church members will say.  "He has authority, and leads his life following the Word."  People hang on his every word, and the pastor begins to believe he is really something.

A minister who is told over and over how great he is begins to believe it, if he is not careful.  No, I'm not saying we should all have low self esteem, but the good comes from Jesus.  And though we have a new nature, we are still walking around in the flesh suit.  So if we believe even for a moment that we have it all figured out and take some kind of pride in modeling it to others, we are already in danger.

"But for the grace of God, there go I."

To me this is the key.  If we live believing, under the right circumstances, any one of us could fall into sin, we are less at risk.  It's knowing that we are fully dependent of Jesus and not on our own strength.  It's admitting that we are wrong when we are.  It's not believing that we are somehow better than the person sitting listening to the sermon.  Believe me, we are all the same.  Ministers are just given a job to do, and how they complete it depends solely on how much they rely on Christ, just like everyone else.

And as for those who are sitting and listening to the pastor each week.  Serving.  Following Christ.  KEEP FOLLOWING CHRIST.  We are not following a man.  We are following Chirst.  When a ministry starts to be based around a person and not the person of Jesus Christ, when that man fails...everyone's world comes crashing down.  It shouldn't be.  This is why I personally don't agree with the satalite church concept.  I think it's a set up to worship a man, not God.  Let us not take out eyes off Jesus.  He is our everything.  Man is simply his chosen vessel.  Often broken and scared from life and sin.

This is the time to rise up and be light.  Not in an arrogant way, but in a humble and grace-filled way.  "But for the grace of God, there go I".